Bigger tires can change how your plane handles.

What’s worked or what hasn’t for you after making the switch? Any surprises, lessons learned, or things you’d do differently? Have you tried any mods or adjustments that made a difference?

What's the powerplant on that 150TD?
I'd guess a Lycoming 320, but I can't see a starter ring.
Plus I've never seen a cowl & dual exhaust like that on a 150/150.

Bush Wheels hide a lot of my poor landings!! You will feel a bit more drag when you touch down but after a few landings you don't notice it. Much softer landings with less bounce. Tire Pressure makes a difference. Get them down to 3 psi and they roll a lot harder around the hanger. Pump them up and they roll easier but not as soft a landing. Harder to enter and exit the plane. Less vis over the nose in 3 point. Big crosswinds can be an issue due to softer sidewall. Overall one of the #1 mods for off airport landings.
DENNY

Takes longer to lift the tail off the ground.

Slopes place more weight on the downslope tire and due to the softer sidewall of the ABW's this can make for an uneasy feeling until one gets used to it. Strips that have bends thus requiring a turn while landing results in the same action, compression of the outboard of turn tire with the possibility of the tire attempting to shear under the aircraft. Varies greatly depending on friction of the landing surface as well as tire pressure. The type of gear also contributes to this action, with spring style gear typically allowing the greatest movement laterally. When accomplishing wheel landings on less than perfect surfaces, it is easy to get into a PIO due to both the rebound effect of the flexible sidewalls with spring steel gear adding to this effect, again, varies greatly with tire pressure and landing surface.

I have run 31 ABW's on our PA-18A for over 20 years and absolutely love them. Now that the Cub stays on floats, I put the 31's under the 180. I thought I would not like them on the 180 due to the heavier airframe with its spring steel gear as well as frequenting a strip that requires landing in a turn due to its bend. I was wrong, the 31's perform just as well as on the Cub. I do run a higher pressure (10 pounds) due to the side loading of the tire caused by the turning landing as well as the 180's extra weight (3190 gross). Just some observations, hope they are helpful.

TR

Things to look out for? Let's see:

1. Fewer Cessna flap/aileron diamonds cookie-cuttered out of your forehead
2. A mellower ride over grass tufts (for 35s and above)
3. A little shorter takeoff if you keep the tail low
4. A loss of several knots cruise speed
5. Mysterious panties hitting you in the face from all directions
6. A sudden interest in paint-on bedliner

hotrod180 wrote:What's the powerplant on that 150TD?
I'd guess a Lycoming 320, but I can't see a starter ring.
Plus I've never seen a cowl & dual exhaust like that on a 150/150.

IIRC it's one of Mike SIbley's conversions at Soldotna. I see the flywheel behind the nosebowl.

Zzz wrote: Things to look out for? Let's see.....

Don't forget possible tire / caliper interference.
And possibly reduced brake effectiveness.

Be careful-- it's easy to overlook these issues when the panties start hitting you in the face.

They slide like skates on ice, when landing on wet grass, absolutely zero braking. Watch out for that!

Some planes have a distinct "pitching forward" moment, when touching down as the wheels and tires spin up. It varies by type.

If you have to land on pavement, specifically new pavement, they are pretty "grabby" right at touchdown requiring immediate rudder if one touches before the other.

170DT wrote:If you have to land on pavement, specifically new pavement, they are pretty "grabby" right at touchdown requiring immediate rudder if one touches before the other.

This… ^^^

I only have GY 26’s which GoodYear should be embarrassed as they are really only 24”. That being said everyone knows they are 24” diameter. I love my GY 26’s, they are tough as nails on pavement, and handle what I need when landing on grass, gravel and dirt. Yes, all my flying is in Utah and Idaho. Tires larger than mine in my Bearhawk? No thanks as I don’t land “off airport” and I can’t see over the cowling as it is so larger tires would only make it worse.

If you are in Alaska, hell yes get bigger tires, but don’t do it from looks, match your tires to your needs

Do what puts a smile on your face.

It's all covered pretty well in the knowledge database: https://backcountrypilot.org/features/c ... -big-tires

Went 8:50 on the Citabria, no spacers, tight (especially with new brake pads) but it fit the AirTracs, Goodyear might be different.

Moved up to 26" ABW, still no spacers, wore them down, Herculiner, wore them down. Would have helped if I'd flipped them on the wheel regularly as the outside "shoulder" wears faster than the rest.

Went the Devcon Flexane 80 route, built a rotisserie for 100 bucks using some old bunk bed frames and harbor freight pillow blocks. When they show cord, I recoat.

Trying a set of hand me down 29's now, cord showing, so they got the rotisserie treatment. And I've ordered a set of spacers from ACA (thanks David).

I ran the 8:50 at 14 psi, 26 at 10, 29's I dunno - gotta be able to push it out the hangar. The ABW can leak a little air, give them the Stan's treatment before you recoat, ABW sells an orange alternative to Stan's now.

How long does the Flexane last? I've Herc'd mine twice and seems to wear off pretty quick on anything but grass. First time came off in sheets, but the tires were pretty new, now that they are scuffed up it seems to just wear like the rubber.

Fun fact. Bushwheels have about zero friction on a freshly ploughed snow-covered surface. Directional control on landing with rudder authority is fine, but the fun begins when you try to use the brakes for turning. I'm pretty glad I was on a very quiet strip in Northern Alberta when I learned this. It would have been a great blooper reel - queue the Benny Hill theme - as I tried to get close enough to the self-serve fuel on a very slippery ramp...

To help protect Bushwheels when landing on Tar runways Touchdown and get them spinning on the painted stripes. this will prevent that touchdown scuff. Once rolling don't take big turns and don't do a locked wheel turn. Spring gear rotation tires on rims as needed due to camber wear.
DENNYU

Interesting comments on snow and ice. I land on snow and ice fairly frequently and always thought that bush wheels did pretty good. But, I haven't flown anything on ice or snow other than bush wheels in about 6 or 7 years.

Just install them, and go fly. Depending on the tires, the amount of difference in floatation can be large.

One of the differences you need to adapt to right away is the new view over the cowling. That nose can hide a lot of things when you're on big tires.

Otherwise, go fly em.

This thread ultimately culminated in this article:

https://backcountrypilot.org/features/category/aircraft-ownership-maintenance/7-things-to-consider-when-upgrading-to-big-tires